if IPs can change several times, how do apps deal with functionalities that required your previous IP? Also, why is IPv6 not the norm (i.e. in video games, web browsing, etc.)?
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Ip addresses are used for making and keeping a connection open, but disconnections happen.
So most software automatically reconnects if it gets disconnected in the middle of something. It often uses some kind of an identifier so it knows who you are later.
An example would be (and basically all sites do this), Reddit. When you login, it sets a “cookie” that’s basically a code that identifies you account. Every request you send to Reddit includes that code. Every page view, comment, upvote … anything, includes that code. That code is basically your account. If I used your cookie, Reddit would think I was you.
So, if you upvote something, and the page isn’t sure the message made it to the server, it’ll resend the upvote command. It can be unsure because your IP changed, your cell phone went into a dead area, things getting lost on the internet.
As for ipv6…. Laziness/lack of support. Some isps have dodgy ipv6 support, so you have to have ipv4 support, but ipv6 is optional. So not all apps have ipv6 support. Because not all apps require IPv6, there are ISPs that are too lazy/cheap to fix their IPv6. And it ends up in a vicious circle.
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